Structural Engineer

Sam
Stanton

Structural engineer with 6 years across commercial, industrial, and seismic strengthening. Based in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. Working toward CPEng.

6
Years Experience
80+
Projects Delivered
3
Specialist Teams
Sam Stanton
Hastings · New Zealand
01

About Me

I'm a structural engineer with six years of experience across commercial, industrial, and seismic assessment and strengthening. My career at Strata Group has taken me through three specialist teams — giving me broad technical depth and an understanding of how buildings actually behave under load and seismic demand.

The buildings I've worked on range from small sheds through to multi-storey reinforced concrete structures. I take pride in tidy calculations and clear engineering sketches. I have a strong interest in structural analysis, developing design tools, and improving constructability.

I have good IT skills and have become the go-to person in the office for troubleshooting modelling errors. I work well with contractors on site and communicate clearly. I am currently working toward my CPEng application with Engineering New Zealand.

02

Work History

2023 — Present
Intermediate Structural Engineer
Strata Group · Seismic Team

Leading seismic assessment and strengthening projects on existing buildings throughout Hawke's Bay and wider New Zealand. Conducting Detailed Seismic Assessments (DSA) and Initial Evaluation Procedures (IEP) in accordance with NZSEE Assessment Guidelines. QA review of work produced by graduate and intermediate engineers, mentoring graduates with full project oversight, and organising the company's weekly engineering training sessions.

DSA / IEP NZSEE Guidelines Seismic Strengthening QA Review Mentoring
2020 — 2023
Graduate Structural Engineer
Strata Group · Commercial & Industrial Teams

Spent the first three years of my career progressing through two specialist teams. Started in the commercial buildings team working on residential and small commercial projects, building foundational skills in analysis, design, and documentation. Moved into the industrial buildings team where I took on larger and more complex projects including portal frame structures, warehouse buildings with gantry cranes, and mixed-use commercial developments. Developed broad competency in steel, timber, and reinforced concrete design across both teams, working under CPEng supervision throughout.

Steel Design Timber Design RC Design Commercial Buildings Construction Monitoring NZS 3404 NZS 3101
03

Selected Projects

Seismic Upgrade · Heritage
HB Museum Research & Archive Centre
Hastings District Council · 2021–2025

Seismic upgrade of a 1950s portal frame shed to 80% NBS IL3, plus a new two-storey steel-framed office with CLT floor. Awarded Special Recognition at the 2025 SCNZ Excellence in Steel Awards.

🏆 2025 SCNZ Excellence in Steel — Special Recognition
Industrial · New Build
Foodstuffs SI Freezer Extension
Apollo Projects · 2023–2025

New freezer building housing automated racking to 12m height, designed in close collaboration with the project manager.

Industrial · Warehouse
Roofing Industries Depot
Tumu Properties · 2023–2024

Timber-steel hybrid portal frame warehouse supporting two 5T gantry cranes at Irongate Industrial Zone, Hastings.

Commercial · New Build
Karamu Road Commercial Building
TW Properties · 2024–2025

Steel portal frame and precast concrete wall commercial building with dual lateral systems in orthogonal directions.

Seismic Strengthening · Heritage
Lindisfarne College Homestead
Lindisfarne College · 2021–2023

Seismic strengthening of a historic homestead using GIB bracing and steel portal frames, with displacement compatibility and torsional response analysis per BRANZ SR337.

Industrial · New Build
Kiwi Engineering Workshop
Kiwi Engineering · 2024–2025

Steel portal frame workshop with overhead gantry and precast concrete perimeter walls for durability.

Assessment · Fire Damage
Black Barn Bistro Fire Assessment
Black Barn · 2022–2023

Structural integrity assessment of fire-damaged building to determine reusable structure versus demolition scope, followed by design of replacement structure.

Industrial · Specialist
COF Inspection Facility
Eastern Truck & Marine · 2022–2023

Design of a Certificate of Fitness inspection facility including complex precast concrete inspection pits and integration of specialist testing equipment.

Commercial · Mixed Use
TW Group Offices
TW Property · 2023–2024

Mixed-use office and warehouse building including a reinforced concrete suspended floor system.

04

Skills & Expertise

Structural Design
  • Steel design (NZS 3404)
  • Reinforced concrete (NZS 3101)
  • Timber / LVL design
  • Concrete slab design
  • Portal frame structures
  • Precast concrete
  • CLT floor systems
Seismic Engineering
  • Detailed Seismic Assessment (DSA)
  • Initial Evaluation Procedure (IEP)
  • NZSEE Assessment Guidelines
  • Seismic strengthening design
  • Displacement compatibility
  • Torsional response analysis
  • NBS rating assessment
Software
  • Space Gass
  • ETABS
  • Tekla Tedds
  • RAM Connection Designer
  • Excel (design tools)
  • AI tool development
Standards & Codes
  • NZS 3101 (Concrete)
  • NZS 3404 (Steel)
  • NZS 1170 (Loading)
  • NZSEE Guidelines
  • BRANZ SR337
  • NZ Building Code
05

Get in Touch

Let's work
together.

Available from 1 June 2026.